The present invention relates to new chemical compounds and more particularly to anomalous substituted-amine or quaternary ammonium salts of dibasic acids in which there are two dibasic acid molecules per cation or three dibasic acid molecules per two cations. The salts have the general formulae RH.sub.3 Y.sub.2 and R.sub.2 H.sub.4 Y.sub.3 in which H.sub.2 Y is the dibasic acid and R is the cation.
Salts of the first group that have been reported are a potassium acid succinate, KH.sub.3 Y.sub.2, a potassium acid glutarate, KH.sub.3 Y.sub.2, and acid oxalates, MH.sub.3 Y.sub.2, in which the cation is potassium, rubidium, thallium, or ammonium. Salts of the second type are rare, but a sodium cyclobutane-trans-1,3-dicarboxylate, Na.sub.2 H.sub.4 Y.sub.3, is known.
Monosalts of dibasic acids are of interest as solutes in organic electrolyte systems, particularly for electrolytic capacitors. It was while attempting to prepare these monosalts that the anomalous salts of the present invention were discovered. These salts dissociate in solution and are useful as electrolyte solutes, particularly where a slightly acidic electrolyte is desired. They may also find utility as buffers of known composition.